1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an improved method of remanufacturing motor vehicle transmissions. Specifically, the invention relates to a system and method for using air to eject the internal components of the valve body assembly in a transmission sub-assembly.
2. Description of Related Art
The life of a motor vehicle may be extended in some instances by remanufacturing its transmission. In the case of automatic transmissions the basic remanufacturing process includes disassembly of the core, cleaning and inspection of the individual components, sub-assembly of certain components, and then final re-assembly and test.
The valve body assembly is the heart of a motor vehicle transmission. It directs fluid flow to the appropriate areas. A complete valve body assembly consists of an upper and a lower sub-assembly that are bolted together. Traditionally, disassembly of the valve body involves the following steps: (1) removing the upper sub-assembly from the lower sub-assembly; (2) pre-washing both upper and lower sub-assemblies (when the sub-assemblies are pre-washed all components remain in their respective sub-assemblies); (3) for each sub-assembly, (a) manually removing the valve retainer clips and plugs, (b) manually “beating” the sub-assembly on a work table to eject the internal components of the sub-assembly (springs, valves, etc.), and (c) using a scribe or screwdriver to pry out any components that do not eject using the “beating” method.